Owners of The Populist and Huckleberry Roasters Will Open Bar Fausto Wednesday

Koan Goedman and Jonathan Power know Larimer Street; they both worked at Crema Coffee House and went on to open businesses a few blocks away — Goedman with Huckleberry Roasters and Power with The Populist. They had wanted to collaborate on a new project in the neighborhood and had been keeping an eye out for the right time and location, so when a space across the street from the Populist became available, the two grabbed it. The result is Bar Fausto, which will open to the public Wednesday at 4 p.m.

"Our businesses are very much rooted in RiNo and Larimer Street in particular," explains Goedman. "We were sensing the need in the neighborhood for a bar with cocktails and wine."

He adds that Bar Fausto will be a simple, approachable neighborhood bar with a short menu of Italian- and Mediterranean-inspired small plates and sandwiches, where people can relax in a casual environment "with no requirement to sign up for a four-hour dinner."

The bar program, managed by Rob Corbari — who also works at the Populist — will be cocktail-focused, with five to ten house specialties plus a list of thirty seasonal classics. The house recipes are intended as conversation-starters with the bartender, Goedman explains, as a way to guide customers to finding combinations they like.

The front of the house will be in the hands of Matthew Yoss, a Master Sommelier candidate who will also oversee the wine list. Several beer taps, a Prosecco tap, a few canned "dad" beers and some reserve bottled beers will round out the drinks list. To complement the drinks, Bar Fausto will offer a menu of cheese and charcuterie plates, oysters, crudos and bruschettas, along with ficelle sandwiches made on bread similar to a thin baguette.

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"A lot of our focus will be on quality hospitality," Power notes. "We're not a speakeasy. We'll span a range of price points." Some guests might split a $100 bottle of wine before heading to the Populist for dinner, he adds, while others may come by after work for a $6 beer and a shot.

The space itself is austere but with warm touches. Stark white cinderblock walls and concrete floors surround a long, dark bar, but natural pine, floral wallpaper and "cycling stripes" add color and texture. Exterior signage is minimal at this point, with only a small decal on the glass front door, but a larger sign is on order that will go above the doorway once the permitting process is complete.

After Wednesday's opening, Bar Fausto will maintain regular hours of 4 p.m. to midnight from Tuesday to Sunday; it will be closed Mondays.